Preview: Santos vs Chapecoense - prediction, team news, lineups

Santos host Chapecoense at the Vila Belmiro on Saturday evening in round 20 of the 2026 Brasileiro. Both sides have one eye on the bottom of the table, and a poor result would be damaging for either.

This weekend’s fixture is already generating interest as the second half of the season gets underway. It will also be one of the first matches to feature semi-automatic offside technology, introduced by the CBF.

In the last round, Santos were beaten by Botafogo and remain winless away from home. Chapecoense find themselves in a similar position, with just one victory in the competition - against Santos themselves on the opening day.

Match preview

Santos return to face their supporters after a month of instability and yet another FIFA transfer ban. The club are attempting to break a recent run of poor form and make use of home advantage to distance themselves from the bottom of the table. The gap to Chapecoense is considerable, but Gremio, Vasco and Mirassol are not far behind.

In the last round, Santos lost 2-1 to Botafogo and remain without an away win in the Brasileiro, recording five draws and four defeats in nine matches on the road. Overall, Santos sit 15th with 21 points, having lost three and drawn two of their last five games.

At Vila Belmiro, the picture is different: home advantage tends to work in Santos' favour, with the supporters pressing opponents from the opening minutes, and the side have won three of their last five home matches.

Tactically, Santos prioritise possession through the middle, seeking vertical progression without relying heavily on crosses. The team also looks to control the tempo of the match and avoid the intensity fluctuations that have hurt them in recent fixtures.

Manager Alexi Stival arrived in March aiming to reorganise the squad and, despite limited transfer resources, achieved the first target set by the board: moving clear of the relegation zone before the World Cup break.

Names such as Neymar and Gabigol remain as technical references on the pitch, giving the team composure in moments of pressure. The supporters are demanding further improvement, but trust the manager's work, aware that the home environment could be decisive on Saturday.

On the other side, Chapecoense arrive in the worst position in the entire division: bottom of the table, with just nine points from 19 rounds. The board have already made two managerial changes this season, cycling through Gilmar Dal Pozzo and Fabio Matias before appointing Rafael Lacerda in May in search of an immediate upturn.

The Santa Catarina side have won just once across the entire first half of the season, a record that gives them both the worst attack (17 goals) and the worst defence (39 conceded) in the division. Ambitions have shifted accordingly: the conversation is no longer about mid-table positions, but about stringing together points to close the gap on the safety zone. Every round that slips by makes the climb steeper as the season nears its conclusion.

Chapecoense arrive under pressure having ended the first half of the season with a heavy 4–0 defeat to Flamengo, a result that laid bare the team’s difficulty in remaining competitive against the leading sides in Serie A.

Against Santos, the Verdao do Oeste will look to translate a stronger collective showing into a more solid performance at the start of the second half of the season. Worth noting: the only meeting between the two clubs this season ended in a 4-2 win for Chapecoense in Chapeco, a result that raises expectations of a competitive encounter with major implications for the final stretch of the Brasileiro for both clubs.

Santos Brasileiro form:

Santos form (all competitions):

Chapecoense Brasileiro form:

Chapecoense form (all competitions):

Team News

Tiquinho Soares is no longer part of the Santos squad as the club have terminated the striker's contract. He had been on loan at Mirassol and did not feature in Cuca's plans. Midfielder Gustavo Henrique, a product of the club's youth academy, is also a confirmed absentee, recovering from a muscular injury to the biceps femoris in his right thigh, as is Joao Schmidt, who has a thigh injury.

On the positive side, Santos received good news late in the week: Neymar, who had been rested for the Copa Sudamericana fixture after returning from his holidays, trained normally at the CT Rei Pele on Thursday and has been confirmed in the squad by Cuca. Paraguayan forward Gustavo Caballero has appeared in the CBF's transfer register and could feature at least among the substitutes.

Chapecoense face a considerably more difficult situation in their medical department. Starting goalkeeper Anderson is out, as are Rafael Carvalheira, Robert Santos, Joao Paulo and Victor Caetano, all of whom are undergoing physical rehabilitation. The extensive list of absentees makes Rafael Lacerda's task even harder as he attempts to reorganise the side amid the worst campaign in the top flight.

In addition to the injury concerns, the attack has lost another option: Italo is no longer at the club, with a loan move to South Korean football in the pipeline. With a depleted squad, Lacerda has few alternatives when selecting his starting line-up and will have to name largely the same side as last round, despite knowing the difficulties that brings against a direct rival.

Santos possible starting lineup:

Brazao; Vinicius, Verissimo, Ananias, Escobar; Schmidt, Arao, Rollheiser; Bontempo, Gabigol, Barreal

Chapecoense possible starting lineup:

Aurelio; Everton, Thyere, Doma, Pacheco; Camilo, Antunes; Enio, Augusto, Marcinho; Bolasie

We say: Santos 3-2 Chapecoense

Santos should make use of home advantage and individual quality to claim a high-scoring victory against Chapecoense. The expectation is that the Sao Paulo side will build a healthy lead, but face some uncomfortable moments given Chapecoense's need for points and the occasional defensive lapse.

Even weakened and carrying the division’s worst defensive record, Chapecoense have an attack capable of troubling Santos’ inconsistent backline. That said, the performance is unlikely to be enough to avoid another away defeat.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.